NJ Housing Authorities Stand Together to Save Public Housing. Newark, NJ, February 23 2007.

Over 300 people from across the state representing 70% of the public housing units in New Jersey came together to discuss how to save public housing in New Jersey. Senator Lautenberg and Newark Mayor Cory A. Booker inspired the gathered Executive Directors, residents and other elected officials that affordable housing must be regarded as a “vital service” and is worth saving. The federal government is cutting funding to housing authorities in NJ at the same time as the need for affordable housing keeps growing. According to the “Out of Reach” report released recently by the National Low Income Housing Coalition “there are over 500,000 New Jerseyans who can’t afford a decent rental apartment.”

The New Jersey chapter of NAHRO and Newark, Paterson, Trenton and Jersey City Housing Authorities co-sponsored the “New Jersey Affordable Housing Summit” today at the Metropolitan Baptist Church in Newark to discuss strategies with each other on how to survive the repeated funding cuts. Newark Mayor Cory A. Booker said: “These reductions are eliminating vital services that are needed to provide residents with safe and secure homes. It is appalling that the federal administration is sacrificing the neediest and most dependent residents and workers of our cities upon the altar of fiscal stability. These planned cuts are neither fair nor just." Many Housing Authorities have already laid off personnel but the ways to save go beyond layoffs. “As a cost saving measure we’re now only open four days a week,” said John Clarke, Executive Director, New Brunswick Housing Authority. The Summit was addressed by Senator Frank Lautenberg who is concerned about the cuts to public housing. “These current budget cuts affect the most vulnerable members of our society; every American should have access to safe, affordable housing. These recent cuts show the misplaced priorities of the Bush Administration. As a member of the Appropriations and Budget Committees, I’ll do my part to secure more money for housing and will continue to support full funding for HUD,” said Senator Lautenberg. The Senator also told the audience that he wrote HUD Secretary Alphonso Jackson and requested the suspension of financial penalties associated with the conversion to asset based management.

Senator Menedez sent his support for affordable housing and said that “it is unconscionable that while the need for affordable housing increases, this budget encompasses deep cuts for critical federal housing programs….If passed, they will devastate many new Jerseyans.” The NJ Affordable Housing Summit was only a first step in bringing together hundreds of people concerned about the cuts to affordable housing programs under the Bush Administration. “New Jersey has too much of an investment in affordable housing to let it die because of federal neglect,” said Keith Kinard, Executive Director of Newark Housing Authority. ####